Doorknob construction



Jan. 4, 1955 H. YOUNG 2,698,763

DOORKNOB CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HERBERT Youue A-woansvs Jan. 4, 1955 H. YOUNG 2,698,763

DOORKNOB CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a \uvem'ow.

HERBERT Yourse- A-r-roauevs United States Patent DOORKNOB CONSTRUCTION Herbert Young, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to National Brass Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 12, 1949, Serial No. 115,245

8 Claims. (Cl. 292-347) is within the knob, the key receiving end of a lock being presented at the center and the outer side of the knob.

The structure embodied in my invention is one wherein various sheet metal parts are quickly and readily assembled and can be removed for disassembly if for any reason it is wanted. In some cases a lock may get out of order and require either repair or replacement. With my invention a novel and very practical and useful structure and assembly is provided, which is removable from the remainder of the door latching and locking mechanism with which it is used, one example of which is shown in application for patent, Ser. No. 47,438, now Patent No. 2,642,735, filed September 2, 1948. My invention is directed to a novel door knob and knob assembly usable, among others, with structures of the type disclosed in said application, the knob being of a light weight, practical and economical structure and having parts secured in place in a novel and effective manner.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the knob structure and assembly, with the parts assembled and joined and held together in operative working relation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, substantially on the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the several parts of the novel knob and the assembly associated therewith with some of the parts separated and other parts shown partially assembled.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the practical manufacture of the knob an outer covering shell, which may be of brass, has an outside face 1, centrally of which is an opening 2 in a shallow depression in the face of the outside covering. Such outside covering is continued in integral sides 3 which are formed inwardly to converge toward each other. Within the outer covering member 3 is an inner shell member 4, preferably of steel, which has parts or sides seating against the outer face 1 and the sides 3 of the outer covering and welded thereto, likewise having a central opening which is around the central depression in the face 1 of the covering of the knob. The steel inner member is for strengthening and reinforcement. However, the invention is not limited to the two-part or laminated structure described, as a single sheet metal knob body may be used instead of the two parts or laminations described.

A plate 5 of metal, of heavier cross section, is located within the knob, at its intermediate portion being spaced a short distance from the end of the knob and at its outwardly turned end sections welded or otherwise permanently secured to the inner shell 4. It has a central opening 6 axially aligned with the opening 2, at one side of which a slot 6a is made. The body 7 of a key actuated lock passes through the opening 6, the reduced outer end of the lock barrel fitting the opening 2. A projecting rib portion 8, at one side of the body 7, in which the lock tumblers are housed, is received in 2,698,763 Patented Jan. 4, 1955 and fits the slot 6a. The lock in the assembly is shown in the relation it occupies to the knob in Fig. 1.

The lock is inserted in the outer end of a relatively long cylindrical sleeve 9 which is flanged at 10 at its outer end and is slotted at one side at 9a for the reception of the part 8 of the lock. Screws 11 through the flange 10 thread through openings in the plate 5 to connect the sleeve 9 to the knob, such sleeve 9 becoming the knob shank, and holding the lock securely in place with the inner end of the projecting rib portion 8 at the inner end of the slot 9a. The sleeve or shank 9, between its ends, is provided with an outwardly extendmg annular rib 12 upset outwardly from the cylindrical shank 9. A closure member 13 of dish form made from flat metal, having a central opening through it to pass over the shank 9, comes against the rib 12 and has its flange portions at its open side received within the open side of the knob outer shell member 3, as shown in Fig. 1. Such shank 9 at its inner end portion is provlded with a plurality of longitudinal slots 14 as shown, and at its inner side, adjacent its inner end, with a continuous annular groove 15. The lock is connected to a sleeve 16 telescopically received within the sleeve 9 by means of a block 17, screws passing therethrough and also through the inturned end portions of the sleeve 16 as shown, the screws threading into the lock body 7.

The shank 9 houses and encloses the inner portion of the lock, and when the shank is attached to the plate 5 the key operated lock is centrally located within the knob and with the other outer key receiving end accessible for the insertion of the key which operates the lock. The inner end portion of the knob shank or sleeve 9 is telescopically received in a centrally disposed additional sleeve 18, formed integrally with a base plate 19 which is located against a side of the door with which the knob and the remainder of its lock mechanism is assembled. Between the inner end of the sleeve 18 and the base 19 the sleeve is enlarged in diameter in short sections as indicated at 20. The sleeve and base forms the inner member of the rose assembly, which is completed by a thin sheet metal covering 21 having an outwardly flared inner portion sufficiently large to completely cover the base plate 19 and having a central portion into which the sleeve 18 is telescopically received until its free end comes against a central inturned lip 21a around a central opening of the proper diameter for the knob shank 9 to pass therethrough. When the parts are assembled as in Fig. 1 the inside closure member 13 of the knob is gripped between the annular rib 12 of the shank 9 and such annular lip 21a on the outer covering member of the rose assembly.

When thus assembled, the knob shank 9 extends through the sleeve 18 and inwardly beyond the base 19. At the inner end of the knob shank 9, a circular plate 22, having a diameter such that it is received within the shank, is inserted therein. From the plate 22 an inwardly extending centrally disposed hollow stem 23 is located, usually square in outline, to receive the end of the roll back spindle of the lock or latch with which associated. Radially extending tongues 24 from the plate 22 pass through the slots 14 in the shank 9 and come against take-up shims 25 of thin metal, which are between the tongues 24 and the shoulder provided at the bottom of the outer enlargement 2d of the sleeve 18 formed between it and the base plate 19. When the parts are thus assembled, a split spring retaining or locking ring 26 of wire rod is contracted or compressed and inserted in the inner end of the shank 9 until it reaches the groove 15, whereupon it expands and seats in the groove, thereby releasably securing and holding the assembled parts of the knob assembly against separation. The shims 25 will be of varying thickness to compensate for the variations or discrepancies which occur in stamping large quantities of sheet metal parts in such knob assemblies and in which tolerances cannot be held to extremely close limits, so that to eliminate loose or lost motion between the parts when assembled, shims 25, one or more of them for required take-up, are used as described.

The knob structure described is novel and may be used with or without a lock. The knob is economical, being entirely of metal and together with its assembled parts made from relatively thin metal so that the weight is light yet with ample strength and avoiding the necessity of more or less heavy or solid knobs of metal or other material. The stamped parts are economically made in large quantity production. The various parts and elements which make up the knob, its shank, the parts of the rose assembly and the roll-back spindle connection are readily assembled and are readily disassembled if for any reason such disassembly is wanted. The attachment to a door may be made by screws passing through the flared out inner portion of the rose covering or escutcheon 21 and through the base plate 19 or in some cases, a bolt passing through a door connecting the two knob structures one at each side of the door. A removal of such screws or of the bolts mentioned frees the entire knob assembly for removal whereupon the locking or retaining ring 26 may be readily reached for disconnection whereupon all of the parts may be separated from each other. And the lock, if one is used, centrally located within the knob and held within the hollow knob shank may be removed after the attaching screws 11 are withdrawn. Such structure is compact and through the novelty of construction all looseness of parts or lost motion between them is taken care of though the tolerances and fabrication of the parts may be relatively of a considerable amount.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a structure as described, a hollow knob shell having an outer side and inwardly extending generally converging annular sides extending from the outer side inwardly, said shell being open at its inner side, a hol ow cylindrical knob shank having its outer portion located within the shell and passing through the open side thereof, means releasably connecting the knob shank to the inside surface of the outer side of said shell, said shank having outwardly extending stop means between its ends, a closure of thin metal for the open inner side of the shell having a central opening through which the shank passes, said closure engaging against the stop means, and means for releasably securing the closure against said stop means in position to close the open side of the shell.

2. In a structure as described, a hollow knob shell having an outer side, an open inner side and annular sides extending inwardly from the outer side of the shell, a cylindrical knob shank located axially in said shell and extending therefrom, means for detachably securing the shank to said shell, said shank between its ends having outwardly extending stop means thereon, a closure for the open inner side of the shell of thin metal engaging against said stop means when in position to close said open side of the shell, a rose assembly comprising an inner sleeve having an outward ly extending flange at its inner end and an outer coverfor said sleeve having an inturned lip at its outer end located between the outer end of said sleeve and said closure, and means for releasably securing said rose assembly in position to hold the knob closure between said stop means and lip.

3. In a structure as described, a hollow knob shell having annular sides, an outer side and an open inner side, a cylindrical knob shank extending into the shell at its inner side, means for releasably securing said shank to the shell at the outer end of the shank, said shank between its ends having outwardly extending stop means thereon, a closure of thin metal for the open inner side of the shell through which the shank passes, said closure engaging against said stop means, a rose assembly inc'uding an inner member having a sleeve through which the shank passes and a laterally extending fiange at the inner end of the sleeve, a covering member therefor comprising a sleeve portion around the first mentioned sleeve and an outwardly flared portion covering the said flange, said sleeve portion of the covering member having an inturned lip at its outer end between said knob inner side closure and the outer end of the first mentioned sleeve, said shank at the inner end thereof having an axial opening and the sides of said shank having slots therein from the inner end of the shank for a distance, a plate within the inner end portion of the shank having outwardly extending tongues in the slots thereof, said plate having a rollback spindle receiving member extending inwardly therefrom, shims between the outer end of said tongues and the inner member of said rose assembly and releasable means within the inner end of the shank bearing against the plate located within the shank for releasably securing said knob shell, its closure, rose assembly and roll-back spindle means together.

4. In a structure as described, a hollow knob shell having annular sides and an integral outer side, the inner side of said shell being open, a sheet metal member within said knob shell located against and permanently secured to the shell, a hollow cylindrical knob shank having its outer portion located within the shell and extending inwardly beyond the open side thereof, means releasably connecting said shank at its outer end to said member, a closure for the open inner side of the shell through which the shank passes, stop means on the shank against which the closure engages, a rose assemb'y through which said shank passes, and means for releasably securing said rose assembly against axial movement on said shank, the inner end of the rose assembly holding said closure in position to close the inner side of said shell.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4, said member in the shell and the outer side of said shell having openings therethrough aligned with the shank, the opening in the shell being of less dimensions than that through the said member.

6. A hollow knob shell open at its inner side, a knob shank extending into said knob shell through the open side thereof, a member of thin metal within the shell adjacent its outer side extending transversely of the shell, said member at its outer portions having a permanent connection to the shell, said knob shank at its outer end having laterally extending flanges engaging against said member, and means for securing the member and flanges together, said knob shank between its ends having outwardly extending stop means thereon, and a closure member of thin metal for the open in ner side of the knob having a central opening through which the knob shank passes, said closure member closing the open inner end of the she l and engaging against said step means on the knob shank.

7. In door knob construction, the combination comprising: a hollow knob shell open at one end; a tubular shank having one of its ends received into said knob shell and anchored to the interior of said shell on the side of said shell opposite from said open end; said tubular shank having a radially, outwardly projecting stop ring intermediate its ends; an annular closure member adapted to receive said shank therethrough and to be received into the open end of said knob shell; the periphery of said closure member engaging the edge of said shell knob defining said opening; said closure member bearing against said stop ring and enclosing said stop ring within said knob shell; a cover member having an elongated, tubular, extension adapted to receive the outer end of said shank therethrough; means for urg- {jng the end of said extension against said closure mem- 8. In door knob construction, the combination comprising: a hollow knob shell open at one end; a tubular shank having radially projecting stop means intermediate its ends, one end of said shank received into said shell and secured to the interior of said shell on the side of said shell opposite from said open end; a closure member received into the open end of said shell, said closure member surrounding said shank and bearing against said stop means; a cover member surrounding the other of the ends of said shank; means for holding one end of said cover member against said closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,854 Voight Dec. 12, 1905 1,910,859 Rymer May 23, 1933 2,012,911 Hurd Aug. 27, 1935 2,264,239 Hirsh Nov. 25, 1941 2,294,213 Schlage Aug. 25, 1942 2,547,439 Cerf, Jr. Apr. 3, 1951 

